Bertarve

Bertarve is located at the southernmost tip of the island of Etorofu. Etorofu along with Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai island group were occupied by Russia from 1945 until the end of WW III. In those days, Bertarve was a Russian city and the location of a Soviet sub base. When Russia withdrew and returned the Northern Islands to Japan, they set demo charges and buried the sub base. In recent years, Bertarve has grown up quite a bit. There are still many Russians that live in the area, but many Japanese have moved back in. Corporate Support for this area has been high due to its strategic northern location, and most major corporations operate branch offices in the area. The city's major problem is crime. With little time to change over police forces and to get an adequate system in place, Bertarve has fallen victim to a skyrocketing crime rate. The city has become a haven for wanted criminals, gangs and spies working on Russian targets. A thriving black market operates here, and due to the corruptibility of local police, it goes on in plain view in a large street market style setting. If it is illegal, and you want it, you can find it here.

The geography of Bertarve is quite interesting. The city is built at and around the base of Mt. Bertarve, which is about 4,500 meters high. The skyscrapers block out a lot of the view of the mountain. Some of the larger buildings are over 2 kilometers tall. From the center, the city sprawls out eleven kilometers each direction. There are major shipping ports situated on all sides of the city making it a major Japanese port. Etorofu is connected to the other islands and the mainland by the Tohoku Maglev train. As far as social geography goes, the rich live high in the towers above the poor who wander about the streets. With aerial walkways connecting many of the towers, the rich never have to come down to ground level.

Like New Port City, Bertarve is extremely dense and driving a car here is a hindrance. Most of the streets are filled with people, and for most of them, the preferred method of travel is walking. A Maglev runs through the city as well as a major mega-highway, both of which connect Etorofu to the other islands.